18-carat gold toilet stolen in five minutes: How thieves pulled off the heist from Blenheim Palace
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The Theft: A Brazen Operation
Prosecutor Julian Christopher told jurors that a gang of five men executed the theft by driving two stolen vehicles through the locked wooden gates of Blenheim Palace. The burglars used sledgehammers to smash their way into the 18th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they ripped the golden toilet from its plumbing, leaving water gushing through the historic estate. The thieves fled the scene in under five minutes, leaving behind the sledgehammers used in the break-in.
Michael Jones, 39, is one of the accused, charged with burglary. The prosecution argues that Jones had carried out reconnaissance missions before the heist, taking photographs of access points and even the lock on the bathroom door. “There can be no doubt that he was carrying out reconnaissance for the burglary that was to take place that night,” said Christopher.
Value and Fate of the Toilet
The golden toilet, which weighed 98 kilograms (215 pounds), was insured for $6 million. At the time of the theft, the value of its gold alone was estimated at $3.5 million. The artwork had previously been displayed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York before being installed at Blenheim Palace as part of an exhibition. The museum had famously offered America to then-U.S. President Donald Trump after he requested to borrow a Van Gogh painting.
The toilet has
